The mouth is an important part of your body since it is the first place that air, food, and liquids pass through before reaching other body areas. Understanding the various mouth regions is necessary to comprehend various dental hygiene difficulties. This article will look at various parts of the mouth and their functions.
Lips and Cheeks
The lips are the soft tissue extensions at the front of the cheeks. With the help of the lips, saliva and food are maintained in the mouth while chewing the food. This prevents you from gagging.
The lips play a crucial role in developing speech and other behavioral expressions like kissing and laughing. The lips are endowed with sensory receptors that detect the temperature of different foods and drinks. Because of lips, it is not easy to harm sensitive mouth parts like the tongue.
The portion of the face below the eyes, between the nose and ears, down the front of the face to the lips is covered by the cheeks. The cheeks protect organs found inside the mouth from light accidents.
Tongue
The tongue is a muscle that contains taste buds known as papillae. The tongue facilitates speaking, chewing, tasting, digesting, and swallowing food. The muscle is flexible enough to allow the chewing of food in the mouth and then pushing it to the pharynx for swallowing inform of balls. The taste buds detect flavors in your mouth, including sweet, salty, alkaline, and others.
Teeth
Teeth are calcified, white-colored, and partially placed in the lower and upper jaws. The portion of a tooth visible above the gums is its crown, while the tooth’s root is attached to the alveolar bone by the periodontal ligament. This type of arrangement helps hold the teeth in place.
The teeth are used for:
- Tearing and chewing of food
- Speaking properly
- They bring beauty and expression to the face
In an adult, there usually are 32 teeth overall. As someone grows up from childhood, the numbers eventually increase to 32.
Periodontium
The cementum, the periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and gingival tissue make up the connective tissue known as the periodontium. All these parts are essential for holding the teeth, and proper care should be taken to avoid exposing both the parts and teeth to diseases.
Jaws
Temporomandibular joints, Upper and lower jaws are found in the mouth. Sixteen sets of teeth are held by the lower jaw’s mandible, the stronger jaw, and 16 are held by the lower jaw’s maxilla, which is fastened to the skull.
The lower jaw’s flexibility helps in chewing and other crucial mouth movements. The pair of temporomandibular joints are located between the two jaws.
Saliva
A biological fluid called saliva is secreted in the mouth by the salivary glands. The parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands are three of the mouth’s main salivary glands. Proteins, enzymes, and enzymes make up saliva. The saliva’s components help in food digestion, mouth lubrication, and mouth cleaning.
Conclusion
Proper care should be given to every part of the mouth. Always go to the family dentist in San Marcos for a checkup. If there is an issue, it can be found and fixed before it becomes a larger issue. If you’re looking for dentists in San Marcos Texas, look no further than Larry D. Molenda, D.D.S. Our friendly team is here to help with all your dental needs, and we’ll treat you like family. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and let’s improve San Marcos TX Oral Health together!
